A social panchayat imposed fine of Rs 51,000 on the woman. As she was poor, she could not pay the fine. Consequently, she was barred from using the village well and hand-pump.

Tikamgarh police have arrested 15 persons of a social panchayat for punishing a Dalit woman over her alleged relationship with a local villager, which led the woman to attempt suicide, police said on Tuesday.

The social panchayat consists of members of different caste and community of the village and is different from the village panachayat, which is an elected body

According to Jatara SDOP SC Bohit, on December 30, 2017, a Dalit woman of Gudanadi village had complained at Jatara police station that she had gone to Orchha with her son in October, but on her return some of the villagers started falsely accusing her of having met Jitu Pandit from the same village at Orchha and developing illicit relationship with him.

A social panchayat was called and after hearing the case, it imposed fine of Rs 51,000 on the woman. As she was poor, she could not pay the fine. Consequently, she was barred from using the village well and hand-pump and not invited to any social or religious function.

The constant pressure of facing social boycott made her consume poison and she was admitted to the Tikamgarh district hospital, where her statement was recorded, and the ordeal she was going through came out in the open.

The Jatara police took up the complaint and after investigation cases were registered under Section 506 of IPC and relevant sections of SC\ST Act against 16 persons who had passed the order against the victim. Of them 15 have been arrested and one accused is absconding.